andrewcoopergt
Well-Known Member
This is mainly as a way to get feedback on what you would have done, as I already kind of made my decision and will update (if people want it) to see how it went. I searched the forums, but didnt get any info for this situation.
I made a true spontaneously fermented beer last winter. 100% wild yeast fermented from whatever was in my backyard. Well, it's been sitting for a year, and I got very lucky and got a great result! Amazing taste and brett-like funk. So, naturally I wanted to continue this culture. My plan is to make a saison base recipe and just pitch the cake into a 3 gallon carboy.
But I wanted to make sure the cake was viable (should have racked the beer off the cake at like 6 months) before I wasted it on 3 gallons of wort. Last night I made some starter wort and put it on the cake. I woke up this morning very worried about losing this culture altogether if it didnt start fermenting because of it not really having much viability left. I saw absolutely no activity after 10 hours or so (although I know there is usually a long lag time for mainly wild/brett cultures). So, i made the decision to pour a small amount of WLP 568 (Saison Ale Yeast Blend) starter into it to hopefully get it going.
I really really wanted to make a pure wild yeast culture and carry that on, but i made a calculated decision to try to revive it and not risk losing it altogether.
Did I do the right thing, or did I jump the gun? Would there have been enough viability after a year to get going again without some added sacc?
Below is the beauty before I bottled the little beer I had last night! Only got 4 bottles...
I made a true spontaneously fermented beer last winter. 100% wild yeast fermented from whatever was in my backyard. Well, it's been sitting for a year, and I got very lucky and got a great result! Amazing taste and brett-like funk. So, naturally I wanted to continue this culture. My plan is to make a saison base recipe and just pitch the cake into a 3 gallon carboy.
But I wanted to make sure the cake was viable (should have racked the beer off the cake at like 6 months) before I wasted it on 3 gallons of wort. Last night I made some starter wort and put it on the cake. I woke up this morning very worried about losing this culture altogether if it didnt start fermenting because of it not really having much viability left. I saw absolutely no activity after 10 hours or so (although I know there is usually a long lag time for mainly wild/brett cultures). So, i made the decision to pour a small amount of WLP 568 (Saison Ale Yeast Blend) starter into it to hopefully get it going.
I really really wanted to make a pure wild yeast culture and carry that on, but i made a calculated decision to try to revive it and not risk losing it altogether.
Did I do the right thing, or did I jump the gun? Would there have been enough viability after a year to get going again without some added sacc?
Below is the beauty before I bottled the little beer I had last night! Only got 4 bottles...
